just a short and maybe provocative note.. I strongly doubt that themodel of representation helps in any way here. I doubt that 'thecultural field' functions like 'Congress' or 'UNO'. Representation is abad model, especially for so called 'global' media art. Representationworks uni-directional and is following an optical metaphoric.

Isn't the utopia of the great all-to-all-conversation based on afundamental obsolescent of representants-as-persons? Doesn't the newnetizen's 'meme of the meme' relate to a non-representative non-subjectcentered and machinic model of a history of ideas and culture? Andaren't these tendencies problematic enough to discuss in the context ofbias, 'geographically, culturally, and economically'?

The model of representation, applied in minority politics is based onthe logic of Television and other broadcast media. It should bequestioned on the net. You can put up your own server, which can get asmany clicks as MSN.com. Take the example of B92. Who believes thatinviting coloured people in a talk show does anything against racism?The alienating effects of TV itself are not representated i this way.Same with 'Hi Culture'. This is a difficult subject, and it should getmore difficult and conflictuous especially in context of global media tobecome productive.

Applying the model of representation to the cultural politics of globalelectronic media implies the affirmation of centralisation and ahierarchic model of communication. Such a logic gives place for allkinds of 'inverted racism', the market strategies of addressing badconsciousness, political opportunism and other sad symptoms of acultural paradigm which hopefully gets replaced soon, by a moreprocessual more distributed and more direct model of 'symbolic power'.

[...]

Did Jazz, Salsa, HipHop, Jungle, Dub, or Raga need the credits of therepresentational centers of a self-announced Hi-Culture? No, it createdit's own social media spaces and imaginary cartographies, andtechnological practises, even if was getting commodified within thisprocess, at least the model of 'hi cultural representation' seems to bea obsolete in popular culture and its (electronic) media.

Even if there are some good intentions - why was there never an ISEA inall the continents you mention to 'better representate now'? Littlereforms are sometimes worse then fully realising needed changes. I findit disappointing that especially from an ISEA in the US and the reportedextreme socio-economic problems there, such half-hearted 'promotion ofdiversity' is getting announced. In the context of the US-centeredInternet and its questions regarding overcoding and homogenizingregional cultural differences and establishing a 'digital pax americana'it just becomes more dubious.

[...]

It would be very good, for example, if ISEA would start an open mailinglist for open discussion. Where projects could get presented, abstractssent, different englishes mixed and representational diversity emergeand clash. Instead of 'pushing' centralised models of representationthrough electronic media into the finest fabrics of regional cultures,we have a real chance that 'the other calls back' - perhaps via e-mail.Providing free Server space, especially for the upcoming net-videostandards would be also very useful. The result may be not what one isexpecting as 'good art' within 'academic standards'.

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G.H. Hovagimyan replied:

I find it incredible that ISEA decides on a quota system for THIRD WORLDparticipants. I mean really. I'm Armenian but I was born in the US.Does my race disqualify me or my birthplace or my gender disqualify mefrom being an interesting artist. I live in NYC. I'm sorry I don't livein SF near silicon valley. Does that make me less of a digital artist?The spirit of internationalism is a good thing but to set up arbitrarycriteria for choosing who gets to present work and who doesn't is moreof the same "OLD FASHIONED HIERARCHICAL RACIST BEHAVIOR." In cyberspaceno-one has to know your, race, gender, age, nationality and so forth. Itshouldn't matter.